Smallest 1cell 18650 Light?

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AnthonyMcEwen2014

AnthonyMcEwen2014

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I am asking this as I have noticed a lack of small sub four inch rechargeable lion lights (16350 / RCR123 / 14500) plenty in the primary lithiuam and NiMH options though.

WHY IS THIS?

So I have turned to start looking at 18650 lights.

So what is the smallest 18650 light you know, size is overall, so length and thicknes, I.e not much bigger than the battery, with room for led / switch.

THIS IS NOT A RECOMENDATION thread more a contest to find the smallest one, so it can be made from anything and have any type of switch ect.

It must be available to buy so can be custom, but not a one off light made by a member just once ect.

I have seen the Xeno S3A, Member Ven showed me this on PM. What else is out there?

P.s anyone want a square light, Xeno make this to if you want something diffrent.
 
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Zebralight SC600 currently, with forthcoming Sc62 as it is a bit smaller than the SC600
 
As tonkem said I consider SC600 (MK2-L2) is the smallest 18650 flashlight. Besides, it has an advanced thermal management (a PID controller) that outperforms all other flashlights in its class regarding strepdowns&autonomy.
 
I think the DQG mentioned above is the smallest.

Download has a run of customs that I have been really impressed with. The Pocket Rocket is not THE smallest, but nice quality and very compact. There are a few left...
Download Pocket Rocket 9th run

The Fenix PD32 is also a 1x18650 light that is very well received and compact.
There is also the Shining Beam S-Mini.
The Zebralight sc60 (discontinued ) is probably the smallest I've ever had ( approx 99mm long). They are supposed to be coming out with an sc62 pretty soon too, but don't hold your breath.

In my opinion there is a gap in the market for this. More people would attempt to EDC 18650 power if some more effort were made to enable easy carry and size things down as small as possible, no flared heads or sharp edges, etc...
 
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OneBigDay said:
I think the DQG mentioned above is the smallest.

Download has a run of customs that I have been really impressed with. The Pocket Rocket is not THE smallest, but nice quality and very compact. There are a few left...
Download Pocket Rocket 9th run

The Fenix PD32 is also a 1x18650 light that is very well received and compact.
There is also the Shining Beam S-Mini.
The Zebralight sc60 (discontinued ) is probably the smallest I've ever had ( approx 99mm long). They are supposed to be coming out with an sc62 pretty soon too, but don't hold your breath.

In my opinion there is a gap in the market for this. More people would attempt to EDC 18650 power if some more effort were made to enable easy carry and size things down as small as possible, no flared heads or sharp edges, etc...
Click to expand...

Seen the Smini looks cool.

And I agree, while they can not be as bright, (unless you introduce PID) due to there size (they need the extra size and mass and fins and all the eyes and stuff for cooling), if they were smaller I'd consider EDCing one, as even something like the PD series from fenix is to large to carry all day when o have no actual use for it, I mean sure if I need it for work or plan on needing it is nice and small and fits into a pocket easily, but so do almost all 18650 lights, I wish there were more RCR123 or simulara size rechargeable lights, there plenty of small lithiuam primary light, but yet even though its the same size they won't let you run RCRs in them often.

WHY IS THIS!!! WHY DONT THEY MAKE THEM FOR RCR OF IT CANT BE BOTH, SURLY IN THIS DAY AND AGE IT WOULD MAKE MORE SENSE TO GO WITH THE RECHARABLE OPTION!!!!

Yet these are more the size I want for EDC use, something that can be put on a keychain or belt clip and not notice it. (Okay an 18650 light may be a bit large for keychain but not by much if they could be made not tons bigger than the cells which is possible in some of the above exsapmles.

But due to the lack it got me thinking hence why I made this thread.

More to the point why are there not many 16350 / RCR 123 / 14500 lights around?

I think having looked at all of these the smallest here (despite the slight larger head than the body, at 22body by 87lenth I think the DQG wins due to the shortness of it)

However for thinnest I think the Xeno has that at 21.5mm But with an extra 24mm length (almost a 1/4) I think the DQG has it.

​That custom one is NICE though but $299 ouch, although Iam sure its worth every cent.
 
What about a zebralight H600? That's pretty small at 97.8 mm long. 1020 lumens to boot.
 
Shouldn't you look at total volume instead of length? Otherwise you would be looking for the shortest 18650 light.
 
I'm going on what I think would appear smallest, not shortest so kind of like volume yes, if the DQG was only just short yet still fatter then I'd proberly think one of the others ids smaller but when its a whole 84mm shorter I dont think an extra 2-3mm would make much diffrence, also to me length is more of a issue than width but that is obviously just my opining.

I'm actually thinking of picking up a DQG if there any good, with a 500lumen burst mode out of such a small light I think it would be quite impressive, and good runtimwes on the 200 lumen mode or the lower more for when needed. Very good mode spaceing and a nice simpek UI. Looks awsome!
 
The Download Pocket Rocket is my favorite little 18650

---------------------------------
Chris
 
I like the looks of the DQG but the switch location, more lumens and the UI draw me towards the ZL sc600 ...........but then there is the price.
 
There is also the First Brass CREE XP-G2 R5 3C NW 1x18650 EDC Flashlight from CQG.
Measures in at 97mm x 21mm with tail clicky.

Link removed as per the banner at the top of the page
Why has my link been removed? - Norm
 
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I real like like my Olight M20, 109mm but the magnet in the base is what I like the most about it...makes it the perfect BBQ light.
 
If the idea is to have it be more practical for EDC, etc, the other issue is the depth of the reflector bowl.

Essentially, due to the way an LED emits light, you need a deep bowl to get good throw.

That means that the shortest 18650 powered light COULD theoretically be a twisty mule.


If you add a side switch, you need some body length to accommodate that.

If you make it a clicky switch, then the tail grows longer to accommodate that too, and so forth.


After that, its all about how much range you need the light to have. I like flood patterns, albeit no longer range capability is not quite perfect either.

The deeper you make the reflector bowl, the more range you'd get, and, the longer the head needs to be to accommodate it.
 
THE_dAY said:
brass 18650 from CQG.
Measures in at 97mm x 21mm with tail clicky.

Link removed as per the banner at the top of the page
Why has my link been removed? - Norm
Click to expand...

Oh I like! I really really like! Available in 7C warm white too. XP-G2 fully driven, perfect for unprotected cells from laptop pulls. Volume wise it is smaller than the other DQG 18650.
 
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tonkem said:
Zebralight SC600 currently, with forthcoming Sc62 as it is a bit smaller than the SC600
Click to expand...

SC62d looks pretty sleek! Just ordered one...in for the long wait now.

And before anyone says 320 lumens isn't impressive...ok, maybe it's not in comparion to other 18650 lights. But you have to consider the 85CRI and small size. And I don't believe it steps down with PID like the SC600. So I expect this to be a fantastic light.
 
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Hated my old dqg 18650 when i got it.. Modes was skipping so bad. Im used to twistys, but found it close to impossible to set the mode i wanted on the first try.... usually the same happend when i cycled trough the modes for a second try... The retaining ring in the head was ALWAYS working itself loose. When it's loose you got nothing pushing the led/driver against the head for heat transfer, and you loose contact to the driver and get uncontrolled mode skipping.

Had to glue the led/driver mpcb in there with thermal paste and also used thermal paste on the retaining ring. Way better heat transfer after using thermal paste, this thing is getting really hot now. Used some fine grit sandpaper and rubbed off some ano on the end of the batterytube to kill the last of the mode skipping. Stretched the spring in the end of the tube (its way too weak to handle the mass of a 18650). Now it almost works like it should. Changed the o-rings to some better ones to waterproof it. (The light was not waterproof. I put it under the shower, and it stopped working. Dissasembeled it and dryed it, and it was working again.) The tint on mine (neutral) is awsome. Im picky about what tints i can call awsome, but infact the dqg got the nicest neutral tint of all my xm-l lights :) Seems to be current controlled, cant see pwm at all, 10 tumbs up for no pwm!!!

Started to really like it after "fixing" it and using it at work. I got a small semi transparant plastic ball with a hole on the light as a "removable diffuser/360 degree lightbulb lantern ball". This thing tailstands inside the smallest spaces. With good runtimes too. It,s nice with a tiny "500 lumen lantern" with a weak spring . Hit the back, and it changes modes like clockwork :) No need to twist anything to change modes.. This would be bad for most pepole. But for me, using it mostly as a tailstanding mini lantern, this flaw makes it better :)

I dont think there will be a smaller 18650 light anytime soon. The walls are as thin as they can be. The led + driver is ~1mm thick :) The retaining ring is maby 2 mm. tir optic shaves off some mm vs reflector. I think it's just about as small as its possible to make a 18650 light. Unless dqg makes a mule version.

If you dont want to mod/problemsolve to get a fully working light, dont ever buy the 18650 version of the dqg.
 
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